The Trial of the Chicago 7 Review

Certificate: 15

Running time: 129 minutes

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Directed by: Aaron Sorkin

The story: The Trial of the Chicago 7 follows the story of the true life 1969 trial which saw seven defendants charged with conspiracy after the protests that occurred at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

The verdict: Often I feel somewhat ignorant if I watch a film such as this and I have no knowledge of the real life events on which it is based. However, the upside to this is that it meant that I didn't know what was going to happen and thus I was transfixed throughout as I waited to see how the trial would play out.

I must admit that I had no particular expectations for this film despite its credentials of a great cast and Aaron Sorkin at the helm, and again I feel somewhat ignorant as this film was brilliant. From the opening scenes, I was completely engaged and the 129 minutes running time flew by.

The cast was great and I was especially impressed with Sacha Baron Cohen. I usually associate him with more comedic roles and in his role as Abbie Hoffman, he perfectly blends his comedic timing with a brilliant dramatic performance. Altogether, The Trial of the Chicago 7 boasts a fantastic ensemble cast with terrific performances from everyone.

One of the best things about this film is how timely and relevant it feels. Even though it is set in 1969, the events could easily be happening today. The film raises interesting issues and is eye opening and thought provoking.

Another aspect that I loved was how funny this film was. Given the serious subject matter, it sounds strange to say that this film was funny but this film elicited several laugh out loud moments in the screening and there was a feel good atmosphere in the cinema. Again, given some of the very serious issues it raises, that may seem odd and perhaps even slightly inappropriate. However, I actually think that the combination of light-hearted and serious moments worked really well as it helped the investment in the characters and the situation. Real life is a mix of the funny and the sad, the just and the unjust, and the film reflects this.

I have seen some other reviews that are concerned that those who are unfamiliar with the real life trial may feel a bit lost. It is true that the characters are somewhat introduced as though the audience will already know their significance. However, as said above, I was completely unfamiliar with the events and people involved and I had no trouble understanding what was going on and understanding who these people were and the roles that they played. I certainly would not let that put you off. And for those who are familiar with the events then I think it will be really interesting to see this dramatised version.

There wasn't much that I disliked about this film. One thing that did stand out was the lack of female characters and the few that were included had little screen time. However, there is not much else that stood out negatively to me.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Trial of the Chicago 7. I found it entertaining, informative and I was completely engaged throughout. I am looking forward to watching it again.

The rating: ✭✭✭✭ and a half